The Old Recess Gang
by writtenbymonsters
Summary: Things have changed within the gang. Gus has moved because of his father, Gretchen has became another person, Vince joined the wrong crowd, Mikey is suffering from social anxiety, TJ is loosing it, and Spinelli or Lee, is left to bring the gang back together.
1. Chapter 1

It's been three years since the gang has broken apart and went their separate ways. When TJ resigned as the leader of the gang, it went all downhill from was forced to travel with his father to a new home for the military. We eventually lost contact with him. Gretchen suffered an extreme head injury and was never the same afterwards. She let herself go, hung out with the Ashley's. Lost her self. She got rid of the geeky glasses, slur, and her whole personality. Along with the head injury, her two front teeth were knocked out. They were eventually replaced with perfect new ones. I'm not even sure if she remembers who we are. Mikey gained social anxiety, a little worse every time he lost one of his friends. He doesn't show up most days and just does his work at home. Vince and TJ got into a fight over Mikey. Vince said Mikey was useless and should be kicked out of the group. TJ, being the leader he is, thought we should help Mikey through his anxiety. That decision ended up ruining our gang. Vince got involved in the wrong group when we joined the seventh grade. They all stole and broke the rules. Vince, of course, went along with it, almost getting himself suspended.

TJ and I were the only ones left. I didn't think twice that we'd stay friends for the rest of our lives. I even thought he would be the one I would marry. But nothing in this town remains perfect for long. Once eighth grade came around, a new boy joined school. Tyler Nelson. I guess he developed a crush on me some time in the school year. We went out for recess, as usual. I joined a game of kickball on the baseball field. I suddenly saw Tyler coming over. I'd heard the rumors he had a crush on me, but I didn't know what to believe.

"Hey Spinelli." I stopped and turned around. I expected it to be Teej. After the gang split up, it practically became a rule no one called me Spinelli. Everyone now called me Lee, short for Ashley.

"Oh hey Tyler" I began to blush. Mostly everyone playing kickball glanced over once they heard Spinelli, but the game continued. I dug my boots shyly into the sand. There was something about this boy that made me not want to hit him.

"I was wondering if you were free tomorrow night?" Tomorrow.. tomorrow.. I don't believe I had any plans, but I might be wrong. TJ kept staring from the corner of his eye at us. It was his turn up to base. Hopefully it would make him stop staring. The way his eyes were growing bigger made me slightly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I think so." I smiled

"Cool. How about the movies?" His eyes made contact with mine. He had to look down because of the significant size difference.

"As long as you pay!" Right as I was finishing my sentence, Tyler's head flew forward. The kickball bounced off the back of his head and off towards the courtyard. Tyler's face grew with anger as he whipped around to see who it was. I peered from behind Tyler's tall figure. The kick wasn't just an accident. TJ was angrily walking towards us. His eyes almost popping out of his head. His veins raging from his neck. He walked right up to Tyler, who was a few inches taller than him, and pushed him backwards. I stepped out of the way as he stumbled back. TJ socked him square in the face before Tyler could even recover from the stumble. He crouched down, holding his face. Blood was dripping down his chin and onto the sand. I stood there in shock, staring at the boy I thought was my friend.

"Lay off, man!" Tyler shouted but was muffled from his hands cuffed around his face. Now everyone on the courtyard and field was gathered around us.

"What's wrong with you?" my voice was shaking. Teej had a look in his eye, he wasn't himself. He had gone from the biggest jokester to some type of monster.

"Friday?" He said, his face tilted. Something clicked in my head. The gang had made a pact that we hung out in the treehouse every Friday. My face clearly showed I understood what he meant by that.

"Forget it, _Lee." _He exited the crowd of people around us. I was left, baffled. I helped Tyler wipe up the blood. He didn't simply call me Lee. He made a point. The gang was officially over. He never called me that. He was trying to make a point that our friendship was over. I began tearing up, just over the fact that I had lost the one person that truly understood why I am the way I am. I hid my face as I helped Tyler. It would be a disgrace if people knew I was becoming emotional.

"What a pathetic excuse for a friend." Tyler exclaimed. He began bad mouthing him, his lips stained with blood. I stood up from the stoop. And pulled Tyler up by the collar of his shirt and didn't let go.

"Don't you ever, _ever _say_ anything _bad about TJ, you ignorant dirtbag, ya hear?" Tyler laughs in my face. I can feel my blood start to boil.

"I take it you don't want another bloody'd up face, now do ya?" I kicked him in the shin, making him fall to the ground. "I don't think I can make it Friday either." I spun around and walked away. Teej was staring at me with a certain flicker of satisfaction in his eye. I realized the look in his eyes before was jealousy, an emotion he rarely expressed.

Now, that time is passed and highschool is just around the corner, tensions between the gang with begin to diminish. Hopefully, we'll all be more mature enough to be stay civil. If we can't, I won't even attempt to hold back a swing or two.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: This Isn't Me

If you looked up "depressing" in the dictionary "Ashley Spinelli's eighth grade year" would most likely pop up. I tried to change my ways now that no one understood me. Maybe if I became more like a girl, I'd be liked? What the hell, it's worth a shot. I borrowed some flats, a skirt, a white shirt, black tights, got rid of my signature hat, and decided to do my hair. My mother willingly helped her only daughter become a woman. Or at least attempt.

She drove me to school that day.

"Ma, I can't do this." we were sitting at a red light, for what seemed to be forever. I was debating on unlocking the doors and making a run for it, or facing the classmates I've grown up with.

"Yes you can Ashley. It's not that big of a deal." She said as she blasted her 70's music and patted her big hair.

"This is a big deal! This is my chance at having a life and not being a loser here. No one gets me." I crossed my arms aggressively and watched out the window as trees passed by. Every was in slow motion.

"Out ya go!" Before I knew it, we were in front of the school. I slowly opening the door with a nauseous feeling and stepped out. I already felt about twenty pairs of eyes staring at me. "Have a nice day, sweety. Don't you dare ruin that skirt." I nodded and smiled awkwardly back at her. She sped away and once I reached the doors, the 70's music disappeared.

This really isn't me. All this dressy, typical, girly stuff. Why can't people just like me for me? An aggressive, little pipsqueak that holds a lot of loyalty to her friends. Since when has it become so hard to make some friends? I looked down at my feet, watching every step I took, and having a debate with myself on who I really want to me. I felt my head hit someone's side. I looked up. "Hey, watch it!" I recognized the face, Mikey's face. "Oh wow, I'm so sorry Mikey.." He whispered something and nervously looked down at me. I tried to move closer to give him a hug, in hopes of maybe mending our friendship. He quickly turned around and speed walked away. Wow, I'm a jerk.

I shrugged and continued towards to school. It's practically my fault the gang broke up anyways. The moment I stepped through those doorsl, late of course, there was chaos. Kids running around, screaming. I was being shoved by multiple students back out of the front door. "What's going on?" I asked a short, blonde headed girl. She was lost in the crowd as she tried to reply. I sped down the stairs and soon heard Principal Prickly's voice.

"Students! Please, please." Everyone became quiet now. "As soon as I find out who did this, there will be serious consequences!" Normal conversation began again amongst the students. I saw Gretchen and she was alone. Perfect time to try and be friendly with her.  
"Hi Gretchen. It's me L- I mean Spinelli." I smiled quickly and looked away

"Uh, do I know you?" She looked down at me with some sort of disgust. I kept my cool.

"We used to be friends, a while back." Fire trucks loud enough to be heard from a mile away pulled up. We both looked over and stared for a moment. "Anyways, I was wondering If you knew what happened?"

"This kid, tall and a little chubby, practically blew up the science room during a lab. Apparently got into a fight with some kid and knocked over a bunch of beakers." It clicked. I turned away from her and searched the crowd of students for a red hat. Firefighters flooded the front stairs and rushed into the school. I began to panic.

"What's wrong with this kid?" I said quickly under my breath. My eyes scanned all around as my head began to be poked with small raindrops. It was a bummer to see my hair get ruined after I spent such a long time to perfect it, but that didn't matter now. I pushed my way around the cliques, receiving many stares at my unusual attire, but I really don't give a damn. My best friend is in trouble.

I stopped dead in my tracks. He's not my best friend anymore, is he? Sad emotions flooded my brain. What was I doing? Caring about what people think of me and not being myself. Everything I hated about my classmates. I sat just outside a group of musically gifted students. I still glanced around, hoping to catch TJ. That's when I realized I never stopped caring for him, or liking him in that matter.


End file.
